Building on the latest research, Wolfram Grajetzki looks in detail at the circle of officials that surrounded the king in the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt (Eleventh to Fourteenth Dynasty, c. 2040-1640 BC). Describing the history of the principal offices of state, he takes into account inscriptions, monuments and the few preserved tombs, and traces the careers of some individual officials.

The holders of these offices were the men chosen by the king to be his close advisers. They received strings of important titles, and their monuments are among the finest works of art and architecture of the time. Over all the other officials and second only to the king stood the tjaty, or vizier, while alongside him and of only slightly lower status, the treasurer was in charge of the resources of the country.

From the evidence for these men, a new, more precise image emerges of ancient Egyptian civilization in its monumental accomplishments and its daily operations. Court Officials of the Middle Kingdom is essential reading for all scholars and students of the period.

The text is copiously illustrated with drawings by Paul Whelan.

WOLFRAM GRAJETZKI is the author of several books, including most recently Burial Customs in Ancient Egypt (2003, also published by Duckworth) and studies of Tarkhan and Harageh.